


Snapshot

by FlashDriver



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, cryptid AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:46:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26736097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlashDriver/pseuds/FlashDriver
Summary: For sonamy/silvaze week 2020, using the sonamy prompt of photograph! Here's a little AU, aspects of which I've been working on for quite some time. Set in a modern world with some of the cast taking the roles of relatively traditional cryptids. For this story we join Amy Rose and her father, on the hunt for pictures of the mythical blue blur in an attempt to earn publicity and bolster her father's restaurant. But is this monster what he seems?
Relationships: Amy Rose/Sonic the Hedgehog
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	Snapshot

“Hurry up, Amelia,” A wheezing, jovial, voice around five metres ahead of the aforementioned young adult beckoned, “I can practically smell it, it’s got to be in there!”

“Come on Dad, if you’re so sure then just let me jump the fence and get this over with,” The voice of that young adult bellowed back, her feet shifting no faster than before, “If he’s there then I’ll find him, if he’s not then we’ll get home before 

“Nonsense, I’ll not have you getting stuck and wasting this opportunity. Pick up the pace, we’ll for sure nab a footprint or a hair or something this time!” A large pink hedgehog called back, his own speed dramatically slowing as despite his protests.

Amelia, Amy, Rose didn’t stand any taller than ninety centimetres. The recent high school graduate, age 19, recalled being described by her friend in oxymoron after oxymoron. Bubbly yet bossy, smart but silly… blunt but bashful. To be honest, much of her life had gone the way of the oxymoron and tonight was most certainly no exception to that. She, now only three metres behind her father, was walking alongside the tall wire fence that protected lambent grove- a commercial forest that simultaneously acted as a mountain biking trail and, far more commonly, a chao walking trail. That in itself held no contradiction but the reason she was out here, wandering towards an entrance still a good quarter mile away, certainly did. Though she was veiling it behind a shroud of boredom and disinterest, the pink hedgehog was thoroughly on edge. 

“You’re really sure this time, aren’t you? You really think you’re going to find him,” She half-mocked, finding herself alongside him, “I didn’t sign up for a hike you know, I’m not going into the mountains looking for him.”

“And you’re still calling it a him, my girl, so I know you’re just as excited as I am,” Her old man tutted and grinned, drawing a sour expression from her. Despite that, he hoisted the camera around his neck aloft and struct a proud pose while he walked, “But yes, I think this one is genuine, I’m certain this will be our windfall; we’re going to nab a snapshot and prove, once again and for all, that the Blue-Blur exists!”

As if saying that had reinvigorated him, Andrew Rose began to stride forward with the energy of a man twenty years younger but still very much his present-day body with all its limitations. Heaving a sigh, shaking off what lingered of her waning embarrassment, Amy easily matched his pace, “Just because one of your nutjob friends-

“One of our best customers and a true believer,” He interrupted.

“Just because some guy strolls into the diner and claims to have seen the Blur, wanting you to roll out the red carpet and give him a free hotdog, doesn’t mean you have to close up and go out looking immediately,” She huffed, speaking quickly so he couldn’t but in again.

“There’s no time like the present, Amelia,” He bluntly grinned, “I know you have a sense of adventure, just like your old man. Come on, step lively!”

“If there’s not time like the present, then why not let me jump the fence, you know I can do it,” She grumbled back, “Ten years ago I could have made it up and over there, easy.”

“Yes, and you’d promptly sit on the other side wailing until I came to pick you up,” He reminded her, “There’s no escaping it Amelia, we’re walking through the front gate like civilised people. The Blur might be a monster and a deviant, but we most certainly aren’t.”

Amy had a rebuttal prepared, she’d had one ready since before he’d even started talking, but something caught her attention before she could deliver it. A shiver ran down her spine despite the lime green hoodie she was wearing, her pink tracksuit bottoms offering their own comfortable warmth too. At a sound, no louder than a twig crunching beneath a shoe, she whipped her head back and over her shoulder to peer through the mesh of the fence. 

Though the road they currently walked was paved and streetlights ran along the fence, the night had indeed arrived. The flashlight her father hung in his free hand, blaring away its battery, was pointed in the wrong direction; the thick leaves of the trees hid whatever might have been within the forest and whatever had, almost certainly, been staring at her back. It was as she turned to the track ahead again though that Amy noticed something, a little further ahead the top of the fence had somewhat buckled toward the treeline. If ever there was a spot that she could climb then it was there, but the odds on her dad changing his mind between this spot and the next were less than zero.

Thinking fast, using what had perturbed her, she lightly hammered at his shoulder before pointing back, “Dad, did you hear that?” 

He spun on his heel immediately, drawing his camera as if it was a revolver in an old spaghetti western, “What? Already? This’d better not be some trick Amelia.”

“No, really, I heard it. It probably wasn’t him, but I heard something back there,” She insisted, allowing him to take point while quietly shuffling a few paces back, “I swear something was looking at me though, it was really creepy.”

“Creepy? I’ve never heard you describe it like that, I guess it can’t be the Blue-Blur,” He chuckled, priming his flashlight to peer into the woods.

Now that he was a good fifteen feet away, not out of earshot but out of reach, Amy took off like a shot. She jumped and latched onto the nearest lamppost, using her good grip to aid in scaling before switching to the mesh of the barrier. Though she could hear her dad protesting, with his grin on her face, the younger hedgehog easily clawed her way up to the bend in the fence before, deciding the wire would hold her weight, rising to her feet. 

Shooting him an even broader smile, she spoke a single line, “Have no fear, Amy Rose is here.”

As she looked down though, more than ready to jump, she couldn’t help but notice something on the foliage-devoid ground of this commercial forest. There was a mark in the dry dirt, slightly hidden by the casting of her shadow. Though her curiosity was already piqued, not that she was willing to admit that to her father, what others would have seen as nothing grew her interest further. Without another word, she jumped and landed just beyond that mark.

“Amy! You climb back over that fence this instant,” Her father grumbled, “I can’t believe you’d trick me like this and for what? To shave a couple minutes off this grand adventure?”

“First of all, I didn’t lie. Something was watching me, call it my intuition,” She raised one finger before crouching down and pointing that digit at the dirt beneath her, “Second of all, I just had to get a better look at this.”

Fumbling slightly in his frustration, Mr Rose half blinded his daughter as he lowered his flashlight to the earth. Once she’d blinked her blindness away, Amy saw exactly what she thought she’d seen- it looked like some kind of strange footprint. Five giant toes spanned out as though they were any normal man’s open palm but behind them stretched a long and surprisingly oblong shape with two further lines tracing out from its back. There were two of these prints facing into the woods but, although the earth was shifted on either side of them, that was all; there was no sign of where they had come from or where they were leading.

“Amy, get your phone out and get a good shot! I’ll provide the light,” Her dad demanded, allowing his second hand camera to hang on its strap around his neck as he more intently aimed his giant torch, “I want you to keep it out and in camera mode from now on, only change it if you’re calling for an emergency.”

She fumbled through her pocket, brushing past her keys before drawing her phone. It wasn’t the best quality piece of tech in the world, and the cracks on the screen from where she’d spiked it into the earth in a rage after losing a game likely weren’t doing it any favours, but it was all she really had. She took three photos in rapid succession, making sure to get multiple angles.

“I was so sure it wore shoes, so sure it looked and acted like a person. To think it can use spray-paint and write so well but it doesn’t guard its feet. It moves so fast, its soles must be hard as rock,” Her father tutted, “This is good, this is really interesting.”

Thinking on her feet, Amy quickly proposed, “This must be a sign he’s nearby. If I head into the forest now, then I might catch him.”

Her dad gave her a look, a look that she knew he could cut through whatever lie she told, but it was followed with a sigh, “This clearly means a lot to you. I suppose you can have a small head start… if you wait on the path it’s not like we’ll be apart for long…”

Amy immediately turned on her heel, waving back to him, “Yeah, we’ll meet again on the path, we’ll hardly be apart for-

“But, before you go, give me the speech,” Her father, bluntly and seriously, demanded.

“Dad, do we really have to do this. If we hang around here, we’ll probably scare him off,” She groaned.

“I don’t care, I want to know you’ll take this seriously,” He insisted, “Recite it to me, what do we know about the Blue-Blur?” 

In her most boring, lifeless, monotone, Amy recited the lines she’d had to repeat as part of her summer job working in his diner, “The Blue-Blur is a bipedal creature, first observed to be no more than sixty centimetres tall though later sightings imply it has grown. The creature has been caught on camera several times but only within Station Square and only at night,” Well, it seems like tonight might disprove that, “As a result of both this and its incredible speed, the Blue-Blur is so named. All photo and video evidence, including that captured by Andrew Rose, only shows the creature as a bizarre blue blur, after which it is named. Other evidence it has left include witness testimonies, graffitied words and crude drawings but, beyond those, it leaves no trace.”

“That’s my girl,” He reached towards the fence, Amy matched him and touched his fingers, “Be safe, I’ll be as fast as I can.”

“I’ll be fine Dad, the world knows better than to mess with me,” She pulled away, waving him off.

“Amy, one last thing before you go,” She only just managed to stop herself from just running off into the woods, “I know deep down you’re still interested in it but, please, if you do make first contact stay safe, see if it can speak, get some good pictures and…” His tone changed, half of his exacerbation was replaced by his usual teasing, “Please don’t ask it to be your boyfriend.”

“Dad! I’m not a kid anymore! It was just a crush, a silly crush!” She spun on her heel, stropping her way into the woods, “Get going or I’ll leave you behind! I’ll find him all by myself, then you’ll be sorry.”

That was it, there lay the contradiction between what Miss Rose had been showing and what she had been feeling. Throughout her young life, and through the beginnings of her time in high school, Amy had crushed on the supposed cryptid known as the Blue-Blur. Though her friends had supported it when she was younger, they’d frequently played pretend and dreamt up weddings, it’d become a point of embarrassment as she progressed into seniority. Though she’d never go so far as to call it bullying, that childhood crush had come to define a lot of the teasing Amy had received. She’d clung onto that embarrassing idea for perhaps a little longer than she should have, writing in her journal about running away with the beast or finding out that he was some handsome prince. Amy had struggled, but with time she’d come to hide her belief in him, soon shedding that silly infatuation, though her curiosity had never left her bones. To be honest, she would have been teased just for believing so ardently in the Blur though and her dad’s restaurant hadn’t much helped that fact.

Andrew Rose, almost single handedly, ran Rings and Wing; a small diner, a few roads off of station square’s main street. While there was nothing wrong with that on the surface, it was the history of the place and what lay beyond the doors that was more embarrassing. The first appearance of the Blue-Blur had occurred on that very doorstep, back when Amy was eight years old. Following the removal of a certain item from the restaurant’s menu, the metal shutters of the building had been vandalised in the night; the phrase “Bring back da ‘dogs” had been crudely spray-painted in red on the establishment’s metal shutters. But when her father had checked the security tapes, hoping to catch the vandals and provide evidence for the police, he realised he’d recorded something fantastical. In two fluid movements, two brief blue smears toward and then away from the camera, that message had been written by an impossibly fast form. From that footage, almost overnight, the legend of a cryptid was born- the Blue Blur, an impossibly quick creature with a rude attitude. The diner, which had been set to become a more reputable restaurant, was instead revamped into a tourist attraction based on the creature and its rumoured exploits.

In the years since, the creature’s popularity had diminished and many thought Andrew Rose a fool but it wasn’t as though they were ever devoid of customers. Tourists would see the spot as an oddity, a few tours often passed by and one would even come in for lunch at the establishment. For Amy though, the Blur quickly became somewhat of an imaginary friend turn prince charming. The fact that this strange creature had brought her dad such joy and made things, for a while at least, so much more comfortable had more than endeared the young hedgehog to him. She’d had him all figured out, all imagined up… now he was more of a quest for the truth, less something she sought as much as a huge question-mark that loomed over her upbringing.

Now no fewer than fifty paces into the woods, well beyond seeing the fence she had leapt, Amy had begun to intently scan her surroundings through the screen of her camera. With the flick of her thumb and a click, she’d turned on its flashlight feature to provide just a little more light as she meandered her way over roots and ducked beneath branches. As if she was some sort of detective or adventurer, stalking her way over unknown land in search of clues, she had unknowingly begun to pout as she scoured both the ground and behind the bark of thick oak trees. 

Despite her trek, she hadn’t found another footprint or marking or piece of graffiti. Even through the cracked and inconsistent view of her camera, everything was so frightfully dull. Being a plantation forest, there was nothing of any real note save for the trees. There was no underbrush underfoot, not even grass, so the lumpy and reaching roots were always in a prime position to trip her and dusty, loose, earth. Constantly keeping her eyes locked on her phone screen likely wasn’t helping matters, no matter how much she told herself that her phone’s flashlight was more than strong enough to cut through the dark. 

That latter issue rather suddenly became more pressing when Amy swore that she saw the branch of a tree shift despite the dense nature of the forest meaning no winds could blow here. She frowned incredulously at the tree for what must have been a good twenty seconds only for a ludicrous, splintering, crack to startle her. She whipped around just in time to see the lower branches of the trees splaying and shaking. In a panic, Amy snapped three consecutive photos, but she immediately knew they’d be empty. She turned her attention to the ground, looking for some kind of footprint, she instead found something far more peculiar. There was a broken stick, but it didn’t look like it’d been broken underfoot. Not only was it much too big for any normal person to step on and break, but its two halves were weirdly far apart, and their breakpoints were facing away from each other. It almost looked like someone had broken the stick over their leg rather than stepping on it.

Amy had two thoughts, two voices arguing in her head. The louder of the two told her that she was paranoid, that the branch had fallen from the trees above and she should just hurry towards the path… but the other voice in her head spoke of a more reasonable yet fanciful concept. If this was the blur, then there was no way she was going to catch him on photograph- the only evidence they had was a recording: she should set her phone to record and, slowly, make her way toward the road.

Despite how much quieter that voice was, Amy found herself switching her mobile to record. She doubted she had enough memory for more than a few minutes of footage, but then the path couldn’t have been too much further away… could it? Amy resumed her march, taking a slightly brisker pace than she had before but, equally, scanning her surroundings intermittently with both light and recording software.

She was right, it didn’t take too long for the moonlight to catch something ahead, implying that this part of the forest was nearing its end. Amy squinted at the object, still very much obscured by branches and trees. Whatever it was, it was red and seemed to reflect light almost like the UV vests worn on building sites. The glare from her own light was undeniable and the glare kept messing with her recording. Turning her camera to the ground, using the light to guide her way, she continued to frown as the shape became more and more clear.

It was… a jacket? Just a jacket, hanging from a branch, at the edge of the road. As Amy stepped over the last root, very almost tripping, she found herself on eye level with a jacket, hung by a tassel, from an outstretched tree-limb. It was puffy in design, segmented and clearly meant for warmth despite its plastic inner lining. In terms of size, it looked as though it might be just a little too big for her but… comfortably big, not ludicrously big. It looked to be good quality too, almost brand new.

Curiosity, admittedly, got the better of her again and she gently plucked the garb from its perch: tonight was a night filled to burst with mysteries. First, she checked the tag for any kind of label or contact number as if that was a thing people actually did. Of course, she found none so she moved on to the pockets, looking for a phone or really anything that could be used to contact the owner. Awkwardly, she held her phone under her chin as she started to rummage. The right pocket was entirely empty but, in her shifting, something jingled. She sunk her hand into the left only to feel something cold and metal. The sensation was immediately clear to her, perhaps she could find the owner.

Keys, Amy pulled a set of three with a small, green, tag and goofy keyring of some sports mascot from the pocket. She was about to flip the tag over, see if there was a phone number or a name inscribed on it, when she heard a loud snap to her right. Turning, Amy saw what looked to be a broken stick in the middle of the-

Before she could even comprehend it, the keys were gone from her hand and the wind hit the back of her head. Something shot past, rocketing like a cannonball through the night, something tall and blue. Before she could even properly make out its shape, before she could even process what she was seeing, the streaking blue form vanished into the woods opposite her. Amy whipped her head around in awe, trying to sight it reappearing, only for her phone to fall from its precarious position. Immediately, she dropped down to blindly grab for it. 

Though the keys had been taken, she’d been left with the jacket. What did the Blue-Blur need with keys? Was this the Blue-Blur’s jacket? The Blue-Blur wore jackets? Did that mean he was a person rather than a beast? These thoughts swarmed Amy’s mind as she rose back to her feet, finding her phone had sustained no additional damage. She’d been foolish, her chin had been over the camera lens as she’d fumbled in the pockets, but not this time. If he showed up again then Amy would catch him, she knew she wo-

There was no snap this time, no warning of his arrival. The jacket was plucked from Amy’s hand as she blinked but the blue form lingered for just a second longer this time, ducking and darting in the form of a blur before her before careening off towards the woods before. Without even trying, before she could even realise, she’d done it! No matter how fast this Blur was, no matter what, she’d caught some kind of evidence!

The pink hedgehog didn’t even bother looking to the woods again, instead she took her phone in both hands and halted the recording. Her memory was almost full to burst but she didn’t care, she immediately skipped to the end of the footage. Though it’d felt longer in the moment, Amy found that no more than three seconds contained footage of the Blue-Blur… but there was something special among that footage. Amy swore that, for little more than two or so frames, the Blur was more visible. She set to work, struggling to isolate the exact moment due to the cracks along her phone screen. She must have skipped over it five times before, finally, she caught the perfect frame. Immediately, scared she might lose it, the pink hedgehog snapped a screenshot. She had it, she had caught the Blue-Blur.

The photo wasn’t entirely clear, half of the frame was obscured by the jacket, but she could see his face. Amy was immediately met with a pair of emerald eyes, far more vivid in colouration than her own. There was a mess of blue quills or fur behind his head, tossed wildly by his speed, and, in the frame, she could see that he was sticking his tongue out. The Blue-Blur, this hint of him at least, looked almost entirely like a regular person. Regardless of that fact, simply seeing the clarity of her photo, Amy couldn’t help but jump for joy.

“I got him! I really got him! He does exist, he really does exist!” Amy cheered, now clutching her phone to his chest, “I can’t believe it, I did it!” It was only as she calmed down from her high, still beaming and brimming with excitement that’s Amy’s ears twitched. As she looked into the forest across from her, she swore that she saw something move. Perhaps it was the high of her success, perhaps she just wasn’t thinking straight, but Amy couldn’t help speaking as she did next, “Hello? Are you still out there? This is so cool, I never thought I’d see you!”

“Hey there, so… um… gonna need you to delete that video real’ quick. I hope that’s cool but… um…” Amy turned a little to the left, sourcing the stuttering voice, only to find herself staring into the dark of the woods once again. Slowly, one step at a time, a spikey figure, clad in that puffy jacket, walked to the point of being silhouetted and obscured within the woods, “I didn’t know you were recording; I really can’t have that going around.”

For a moment, perhaps a little over ten seconds, Amy hesitated. Ten-trillion of the pink hedgehog’s synapses were popping with each passing second as she scoured every inch of her mind for the right way to make first contact. She now knew the Blue-Blur was sentient and capable of not only thought but regular, understandable, speech- he was so thoroughly a person, just as he had been in her picture. Even his outline, he looked just like a regular guy she’d see in everyday life.

Unfortunately, perhaps due to the pressure put upon her, the chosen words were, “You know, I thought you’d be taller.”

“Um,” One of his arms raised, she saw what looked to be long spikes shift as she scratched his head, “Well I’m sorry, about that but I still need you to delete the video. If you want another then I’ll run past again, but I just realised the rather… there’s no good way to put it, giant mistake I made. I never should have slowed down for a better look at you.”

“I wouldn’t exactly call pulling a face getting a better look at me,” She grumbled, deflecting his clear lie and clutching her phone closer to her chest, “How do I know you’ll even do what you say? I can’t even see you right now, for all I know the moment I move my phone away you’ll spike it into the ground.”

“Geez, you’re not very trusting, are you? You’re the one holding all the cards here; if anything, I’m the one in over my head,” He claimed, now folding his arms, “You could get me to dance, I’m practically at your beckon call here. I’m your genie, you caught me so you get your three wishes. Whatever’s within my power, as long as you promise to delete that video in the end.” 

He was talking quickly and smoothly, like a talk show host leading along their guest, but, despite her surprise and excitement at this whole situation, Amy could see through his lies and tricks. Truthfully, she could ask for as many wishes as she wanted- there was no reason for her to stop at three. She could have him dance, yes, but she could also have him come out here, serenade her in the moonlight, sweep her off her feet, take her for a run or pretty much anything besides ask him to pose for a photo. Of course, that didn’t mean she planned to publish the snapshot or ask all those things of him; goodness no, this seemed like some fun but she wasn’t going to ruin the guy’s secret. She wasn’t evil, she just wanted to play with him a little bit. This was a strange opportunity but, to be honest, she felt as if she was taking it in stride.

“My first wish…” She considered it for a moment. There wasn’t much he could really do for her it seemed and her father would be here any moment. If, and only if, she wasn’t going to keep her video then she might as well gather some alternate information, “It’s awful dark in there, would you mind coming out?”

“No videos, no more photos?” Trepidation and distrust hung on his tone, “As long as you agree to that, then we’ve got ourselves a deal.”

“I swear on my heart,” She promised, “If I take any more then you have my express permission to break my phone.”

After a moment more of hesitation, and the figure brushing down his spikes and fur, the figure began to draw closer.

What hit Amy first was the colour of his eyes. While they’d been green in the snapshot, the light and pixelation of her cracked phone couldn’t truly do them justice. In the dark of the forest, his emerald irises seemed to shine as if they belonged in the darkest cave and had caught their first sunbeam in over ten thousand years. While blue fur wasn’t too uncommon, his fur was a purer blue than that on the brightest, clearest summer day. Even his form, though partially obscured by that puffy red jacket, seemed to match that of athletes she could imagine running or playing basketball on a Summer day. It was as if sunlight shone from every inch of his form; to be frank, he was the epitome of handsomeness.

But, despite all that, he wasn’t what she’d expected. When Amy had imagined the Blue-Blur, first and foremost, she’d imagined he’d be a lot bigger. While the man stood before her

“You really are much shorter than I thought you’d be,” Amy clumsily muttered.

“H-Hey!” He stuttered, tapping his foot, “What were you expecting? I’m spry, I’m fit. What, were you expecting me to be some kind of musclebound giant or something?”

“Kind of? I always pictured you as a hedgehog but I thought you’d be a bit more…” She searched for the right word, “Beastly; like you’d have bigger fangs, claws, thicker fur, big arms, you know, those sorts of things?”

“Well, I mean, I’m sorry, I guess? I didn’t exactly get to choose how the world saw me,” He grumbled, looking to the dirt and sliding his forefinger beneath his nose.

“W-Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait,” Amy, immediately, feeling bad, began to babble, “I mean, I’m not saying you’re not attractive, you really are, j-just maybe not quite how I expected?” She’d gone very high pitched towards the end of that sentence, only realising quite what she was saying only as she said it.

Though his face immediately flushed, it seemed to take him a moment to process what she’d said. His hand found the back of his neck as he strode further into view, “Knock me down just to pick me back up, I-I guess,” He managed to lean against the outermost tree, only having to stoop slightly beneath its branches, “So, uh, your next wish?”

With none of the fearfulness he’d exhibited, Amy strolled up to him for a slightly closer evaluation. Like her, his arms and muzzle were devoid of fur. That indigo shade of his quills and body wasn’t unheard of shade but more often than not it was the result of dye. It might just have been hard to see in the dark, but his fur looked natural. He was taller than her but not by too much; if she was wearing her boots instead of sneakers then there’d probably only be an inch between them.

“I know you like what you see, but I didn’t expect so much staring,” Before she could even react, he’d prodded her forehead and pushed her just a little backwards.

“I’m just making the most of my first wish,” She countered, returning the favour by poking his cheek, “Is that okay?”

Though initially caught off-guard, he seemed to immediately rebound from her response. He took another step forward, forcing her a little back as he left the treeline and arrived on the path. With that done, the cockiest grin she’d ever seen spread across his face, “Be my guest.”

He took a melodramatic breath and struck a pose, not unlike the flexing sort you’d see in a bronze or marble statue; the bulkiness of his jacket making it look as though his upper body was especially large. Amy couldn’t help but snort, taking a small walk around him and noting the length of his spines. She could see what he’d done to create the false footprint, his running shoes were long and pointed- he’d just reached down and drawn talons in the dirt he’d imprinted. Once she was satisfied, she returned to her spot before him and flicked his nose, “Alright, that’ll do it.”

He exhaled, allowing himself to deflate forwards and very nearly headbutt her, “I’m so happy to have passed your rigorous screening.”

Amy couldn’t help but notice that, when he wasn’t tripping over himself surprised and embarrassed, he put on an air of cocky bravado that, while appealing, seemed to be somewhat of a front. He wasn’t bearing his whole heart on his sleeve, only what he seemed to want her to see or perhaps what he thought she wanted to see. While she enjoyed what he was showing, admittedly, it made her want to get under his skin just a little.

“For wish number two…” She pondered for just a moment longer before giving her answer, “How about your name?”

“You want my home address with that?” He snorted, “If I don’t want you keeping the video, what makes you think I’m up for giving that away? I just want you to delete all that so we can pretend this has never happened and, probably, never see each other again.”

“Well that’s rude,” Amy couldn’t help but huff, acting more offended than she actually was as she pushed her phone closer to her heart again, “I finally find you, and I don’t even get to know your name? You’re going to make me chase you again?”

“I’m afraid so,” He shrugged and winked, “Good luck catching me.”

“Such a shame,” She grumbled, thinking for a moment, “Well, alright. In that case, I want an answer to this. Why are you so fast?”

He seemed to look less uncomfortable at that question, but his hands found his quills, “Uhh, I’m sure you’ll want a better answer than this, but I really don’t know. I just kind of can? I just-

In a blink of an eye the road’s dust raced a trail behind Amy and, when she turned, she found the hedgehog pulling the same stupid face as he had in the photo- his tongue was out and his eyes were crossed, “I just kind of can. I’ve been able to for as long as I remember.”

“So… you were born with it?” Amy surmised.

“Maybe?” He shrugged, standing up straight and returning to his usual grin, “Maybe puberty just hit me like a truck or something. I don’t really know, don’t really care to know. Makes for some fun though, spooked you a good few times.”

“Oh, so you were trying to scare me,” Amy huffed, crossing her arms, “Now I have half a mind to keep my last wish and that pho-

“Amelia, what did I say? I knew you’d get yourself into some kind of bother. Did you scare a cyclist off their…” Just as the large pink hedgehog had arrived at the pair, he hesitated and squinted at the younger man, “Sonny? Is that you?” 

“O-Oh, hey Mr Rose, long time no see,” Once again, the hedgehog’s right hand retreated to brush through his quills, “How’s the diner?”

Amy stood, jaw now agape, as the Blue-Blur so casually spoke with her own father… and her father so casually spoke back.

“Ah, as lively as ever. We were just out tracking down a new exhibit,” He beamed, “I’m surprised you even recognise me; its been so long, just look at you! You’ve grown into quite the young man. If I hadn’t seen you in the paper so often I’d hardly recognise the little ragamuffin who would terrorise my kitchen.”

“Well, I just have an eye for faces. Besides, I couldn’t just up and forget the guy who introduced me to chilidogs,” A degree of confidence had slipped back into his voice but Amy could see the sweat on his brow. As their eyes caught again though, the conversation was diverted, “But if you’re Mr Rose then this must be…”

“Oh, of course! Its been so long and you’ve both grown so much,” Mr Rose seemed to realise, “Amelia, this is Sonny. You might know him better by the name Sonic? He’s became rather a star for his track and field speed, you must be competing for the world stage by now, my boy?”

Amy could see a billion thoughts crackling behind the hedgehog’s eyes, all the secrets he’d been hiding had just tumbled free like loose change from a torn pocket. Stammering, the hedgehog reached out a hand, “Y-yes, I am. It’s a pleasure to meet you, A-Amelia.”

As Amy went for his hand, her father’s booming voice sounded again, “No, no. This isn’t the first time you two have met. Back when you lived closer to the diner, you two would see each other every other day. I think you were around six when your parents moved out of that tiny little flat?”

“Outgrew it in no time, ended up in a way smaller one,” Sonic tried to laugh, “In that case, long time no see?”

“I’m sorry I didn’t recognise you either, Sonic,” She knocked past his hand and leaned in, hugging him like an old friend. Immediately, she felt a shiver run down his spine, “I guess I should do some reading…”

When she pulled back, almost all the colour had faded from his face. He choked out a response, “I-I guess, all that running’s nothing really. Just a hobby, you know, gets me out of the house.” 

He looked so embarrassed when he was flustered, something about the panic she could put in those marvellous eyes did seem familiar.

“Quite the coincidence seeing you out here tonight my boy, we’re looking for a rather different fast and indigo creature,” Her father joked, entirely oblivious, “Perhaps, with you by our side, we could catch the Blue-Blur.” 

“Oh,” He chuckled, turning away from the both of them, “Well, I don’t think I’m that fast but maybe someday.”

Andrew Rose burst into laughter, “Well, best of luck to you Sonic! I’m sure you’ll manage it someday, quite the coincidence you both being blue,” He stroked his chin, “Perhaps it’s something like nominative determinism but for colour. You hear about the Blue-Blur as a kid and you figure everything blue should be fast, like people figuring that they should live up to their names. I remember when my little Amelia wanted to be a florist…”

Before her father could prattle on, Amy managed to butt in with a plan in mind, “You know, Dad, Sonic already told me that he’s out here because he’s looking for the Blur too: apparently one of his friends saw it. Should we let him tag along?”

The Blue-Blur shot Amy a look of such thorough exacerbation that she thought he might melt into some kind of sweaty puddle. Before he could stutter something, her father stood shoulder to shoulder with the young man, “Well of course he can! What a wonderful time for a reunion, you’re in luck I’m sure! With you by our side, I’m certain we’re destined to spot it tonight!”

The Blue-Blur threw Amy a look, ever so small, that spoke to an abject horror, “Y-Yeah, sure. I guess I’d be up for that. Be nice to… you know, catch up and stuff.”

“Wonderful, let’s be off them!” Her father grinned, immediately leading the charge ahead.

“This is one stinker of a final wish,” Sonic half-sighed, looking defeated. 

“I’ll delete the photo when we leave,” Amy swore, sheepishly smiling before skipping after her dad, “Come on. It’ll be fun!”

“You know, despite the rumours, I have my doubts now Amy,” Her dad sagely commented, thinking aloud, “On the way in here I must have heard three different owls, they might have left that track. This forest seems to be teeming with wildlife, the sighting was probably a mistake.”

“I’m honestly doubting we’ll see him tonight,” Amy hummed, throwing Sonic a side-glance, “I’m sure he’ll have heard us coming and run off, he’ll know we have cameras.”

“Well, he’s hardly been camera-shy before,” Her dad grumbled, “And perhaps I’m being pessimistic, we’ve got another set of eyes to aid in our search! Isn’t that right, Sonic?”

“Oh, yeah, for certain,” He managed to mumble, shoving his hands ever deeper into his pockets, “Three heads are better than two!” There was something about the way those words feel from his lips that drew more of Amy’s attention. The sight of his face drained a good portion of the smugness from her face.

His expression wasn’t especially dower, not overtly sad or uncomfortable, but there was something Amy could see just beneath the surface. She supposed, in hindsight, she’d probably let her excitement get the better of her. Part of her (well, most of her) had never anticipated this day, she didn’t actually want to blackmail him into staying around or doing what she wanted: she was just glad to meet him. It took no more than the slightest of shift in his expression to remind her of that.

Their eyes collided and, as if attempting to assuage thoughts he couldn’t have perceived, he stuck his tongue out again in a childish, joking, manner. She snorted in response, rolling her eyes and pretending to blow him off, but the cogs in her head were spinning. Her father was ahead of them, but only by a metre or so. The path was long and straight, they wouldn’t have an opportunity to-

The squawking of a crow cut through Amy’s voice as, without warning, a trio of black-feathered birds shot free from the left treeline and vanished into the right. Andrew Rose, housing none of the trepidation he’d had for her when it came to his own frame, began to rush headlong into the underbrush.

“Stay back kids, I’ll handle this. If it’s in there I’ll get a picture, I know I will! Don’t want to clutter the shot!” He said, shouting so loud any remaining wildlife must have started to flee.

Opportunity certainly strikes in bizarre ways, Amy halted on the road and turned back to the hedgehog. The Blue-Blur was frowning in her dad’s direction, “Is he gonna be alright? The roots are pretty thick.”

“Oh, he’ll be fine. He’s sturdier than he looks,” Amy promised before, not particularly gently, changing the subject, “I’m… not going to tell him, you don’t have to worry about that.”

“I didn’t think you would,” He beamed, a more genuine smile shining through, “You don’t seem the type to renege on a promise.”

“You know, if you really want to go you can, I don’t really mind,” She cut to the chase, “It’s just really neat that I got to meet and spend some time with you. I’ve been dreaming of this day since I was a little girl.”

He seemed a little taken aback by her honesty, his hand found his quills again.

“Well… I don’t know, I’ve not really got much on tonight. I was just out for a run… I saw you and thought I could have some fun,” He admitted, “U-Unless you want me to go, then I’ll-

“No, of course I don't, my Blue-Blur. But if you want to go then you can,” Holding her phone up to him, she deleted the video without hesitation.

He seemed really taken aback, confused, “Amelia, I… are you sure-

“Only my dad calls me Amelia,” She rolled her eyes, stepping closer once again, “Call me Amy, and of course I’m sure. I’ve been dreaming about this since I was two feet tall; if you stick around, I’m hardly going to let go.”

“Well… it’d probably be rude to leave your dad out of nowhere,” He sarcastically hummed, “Well, I guess I’m stuck with you, but I don’t wanna just call you what everyone else does,” He half stuck his tongue out, the casualness of his surefooted demeanour was bubbling to the forefront again, “How about, Ames?”

Seeing that as a sign, not so much as blinking, she snatched up his hand and began to follow her father into the underbrush, “That’s much more like it, my Blue-Blur. Come on, he’ll survive but if we leave him much longer he’s bound to get lost.”


End file.
